A Day in the Life: Sid, North Branford Patch’s Top Dog

Heading into Mark Malone’s house a nearly 100-pound dog comes lumbering toward the door, tail wagging, literally smiling up at you as he comes over to give you a sniff and a few kisses.

And I was treated to some extra love as I had a bag of bones and new squeaky stuffed toy for Sid–his prize for taking home the .

North Branford Patch: Tell me a little about Sid.

Malone: He’ll be 14 this October. He’s a boxer mix–everyone guesses on what else in there, maybe lab, maybe pit bull. Even though he’s 93 pounds, he thinks he’s a lap dog.

North Branford Patch: Have you had Sid since he was a puppy?

Malone: Actually my sister rescued him when he was two. About four years ago she came to live with me and my mom and brought Sid. I knew him before she moved in, but once he moved in, we became best friends.

North Branford Patch: Did you have dogs growing up?

Malone: No. I always wanted a dog, but I grew up one of six kids. We had cats, turtles, hamsters, fish. It was always my dream to have a dog and when he came to us, he instantly became my dog. He’s a dream come true.

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North Branford Patch: Describe Sid’s personality.

Malone: He’s very affectionate, very intelligent. He’s like a child where you have to spell certain words like cheese, car or park–it’s pretty funny. He warms up to everybody he meets so quickly and wants to be everyone’s friend. One quirk he has is that he can’t watch game shows or anything with a ‘ding’ noise like a boxing match. If it’s on, he just gets up and walks out of the room.

North Branford Patch: What are Sid’s favorite things to do?

Malone: He loves getting his belly rubbed and playing with squeaky toys. Sid loves to go for rides in the car, especially to where he’ll watch the kids on the swings. He used to love going for walks, but since we’re on a hill and he hurt his hip two years ago, he can’t make it back up the hill in the neighborhood now. He also loves kisses and hugs, and of course, getting cookies.